Surgical endoscope

ABSTRACT

A surgical endoscope has a shaft and a main body affixed to the proximal end of the shaft. A duct to permit passage of an operating implement extends through the main body. An optics and a fiber optics extend through the main body from an ocular and/or camera adapter and a fiber optics hookup which are mounted on the main body. A thumb grip having a proximal gripping surface and a first finger-grip having a distal gripping surface are attached to opposite sides of the main body so that the finger gripping surface is distally offset from the thumb gripping surface and is circularly separated from it by substantially 180°.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a surgical endoscope with a shaft and a mainbody mounted proximally to the shaft, an operative duct for passing asurgical instrument through the body, and optics extending through theendoscope.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Endoscopes of this type are held and guided by the surgeon in thefingers of one hand when performing surgery. The fingers seize theendoscope by its main body.

The surgeon must manually move the endoscope in order, for example, toinsert it into an aperture in a patient's body. This insertion entailsrotating, pivoting, pushing and pulling the endoscope which isfurthermore required to exactly follow the surgeon's manual guidance toprevent injury to the patient's tissue or vessels.

As a result, absolutely reliable gripping contact between the fingers ofthe guiding hand and the endoscope must be assured. The surgeon's otherhand holds the proximal end of an operative tool inserted into theendoscope's operative duct and, by driving that tool, performs specificfunctions at the site of surgery.

Endoscopes of this type are used in particular in the form ofureteroscopes. The surgeon must insert the ureteroscope through thepatient's urethra, pass it through the bladder space and then guide theureteroscope through the ostium into the ureter. The described path istraversed while rotating, pivoting and pushing the ureteroscope.Reliable gripping contact between the fingers of the guiding hand andthe ureteroscope must be assured to preclude injuring delicate tissue,for instance the bladder or ureter, by unintended ureteroscopedisplacements.

Conventional endoscopes incur the substantial drawback of lackingdedicated gripping surfaces. Such endoscopes are seized at arbitrarysites, almost anywhere on the main body which, however, does not allowsecure and convenient gripping. Truly safe handling cannot be achieved.Because the main body is seized in a more or less unconstrained manner,there may follow undesired actuation of functional elements such asvalves, switches or the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide anendoscope of the type discussed above which provides for reliablegripping contact between the fingers and the endoscope's main body,thereby securely holding and guiding the endoscope.

The endoscope of the invention is fitted with a thumb-grip and afinger-grip. Accordingly, the endoscope no longer is seized justanywhere on the main body, but rather it is seized at sites dedicated tothe thumb and fingers. In this manner, the endoscope may be heldconveniently and without fatigue. The invention allows firm gripping inorder to also absorb or exert high forces. Because of the reliablefinger action on the dedicated gripping surfaces, the danger oferroneous actuations caused by spuriously driving valves, switches orthe like is reduced.

In an especially advantageous embodiment, the thumb grip is situatedabove the endoscope axis, allowing the surgeon to hold the endoscope bya large area. This ergonomic design prevents premature fatigue, forinstance, of the surgeon's arm.

In an advantageous manner, providing a second finger grip allows stillmore reliable gripping of the endoscope. The endoscope is held betweenthe fingers of one hand, for instance, between the index and the middlefingers of one hand and the thumb of the same hand. In other words, theendoscope is held at three points.

In a further embodiment, providing fiber optics extending transverselyto the main body, and using the fiber optics as the second finger gripallows saving one component which lowers costs.

In a further advantageous embodiment, an ocular or camera adapterprojects obliquely from the main body and the thumb grip is mounted atan acute angle therebetween. An ergonomically advantageous grippingposition is secured to prevent the thumb from being wedged into theangle apex.

By situating the thumb grip in the ocular, the instrument insertionalong the proximal endoscope axis can be made very short and thereby theendoscope can be made shorter and more easily handled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is shown in illustrative and schematic manner in theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a surgical endoscope fitted with athumb-grip and a finger-grip;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a surgical endoscope comprising alaterally oblique ocular fitted with one thumb-grip and one finger-grip;and

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a surgical endoscope according to FIG. 1but with a camera mounted at the proximal end of the main body and afiber optics adapter at this camera and a bilateral finger-grip.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a surgical endoscope consisting distally of a shaft 1 andproximally of a main body 2. Main body 2 is fitted with a fiber opticshookup 3 and an instrument intake stub 4 oblique to main body 2. Anocular 5 at the proximal end of main body 2 may also be used as a cameraadapter. This figure also shows a first finger grip 6 with a distalgripping surface 7 and a thumb grip 8 with a proximal gripping surface9.

The thumb and the finger of the hand guiding the endoscope are shown inhighly schematic manner: the endoscope is gripped by the thumb 10, themiddle finger 11 and the fourth finger 12. The index finger 13 and thesmall finger 14 are also indicated. This FIG. clearly shows how thefiber optics hookup 3 also serves as a second finger grip.

FIG. 2 shows a surgical endoscope with an ocular 5′ oblique to the mainbody 2′ and with a proximal instrument intake stub 4′ extending in theaxial direction. In this embodiment, thumb grip 8′ is mounted on ocular5′.

Lastly, FIG. 3 shows an endoscope without an obliquely projecting fiberoptics hookup. It shows a main body 2″ on which is affixed a firstfinger grip 6 together with a second finger grip 15. The two fingergrips 6 and 15 are integral with each other in this embodiment. Secondfinger grip 15 of this embodiment is fitted with two distal grippingsurfaces 16 and 17 to hold, in this instance, middle finger 11 and indexfinger 13. Fourth finger 12 acts on gripping surface 7 of first fingergrip 6. In this design, also, reliable gripping is assured by threegripping surfaces.

In this embodiment, fiber optics 18 is connected to a camera 19proximally mounted on ocular 5. A camera cable 20 is also shown.

The two finger grips 6 and 15 also may be mounted in a slight variationfrom the shown 180° position. Furthermore, thumb grip 8 and finger grip6 of FIG. 1 may be mounted at an angle somewhat different from the oneof 180° shown therein.

The manner shown in the above Figures in which the endoscope is heldwith the fingers, namely between the middle and fourth fingers, also canbe varied. Illustratively the endoscope may be held between the indexand the middle fingers.

Other designs also are conceivable. For instance, thumb grip 8′ of FIG.2 may be mounted in clamped manner between ocular 5′ and main body 2′ orbetween the ocular 5′ and instrument insertion stub 4′.

The finger grips also may be designed for all four fingers of one handand correspondingly be fitted with four distal gripping surfaces. Thegrips may also be closed on themselves to constitute finger and/or thumbrings.

Additionally, the grips may be designed in a manner to allowretrofitting conventional endoscopes with them, for instance in the formof plug-on plastic molded parts. Also all grips may be combined into onecomponent which then is joined as one unit to the endoscope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A surgical endoscope comprising: a shaft; a mainbody mounted proximally to said shaft; an operative duct for passing asurgical instrument through said body; optics and fiber optics extendingfrom an ocular and/or a camera adapter and a fiber optics hookup mountedon the main body and extending through the endoscope, said fiber opticshookup being disposed on a first side of the main body; a thumb grip (8)having a proximal gripping surface (9), said thumb grip being located onsaid first side of the main body; and a first finger-grip (6) with adistal gripping surface (7) mounted on said main body (2,2″), said firstfinger grip (6) being circularly offset from said thumb grip (8) bysubstantially 180°.
 2. An endoscope according to claim 1 including asecond finger-grip (15) having a distal gripping surface (16, 17)mounted substantially in the same axial position as said firstfinger-grip (6) and being circularly spaced substantially 180° from saidfirst finger grip.
 3. A surgical endoscope comprising: a shaft; a mainbody mounted proximally to said shaft; an operative duct for passing asurgical instrument through said body; optics and fiber optics extendingfrom an ocular and/or a camera adapter and a fiber optics hookup mountedon the main body and extending through the endoscope; a thumb grip (8)having a proximal gripping surface (9); a first finger-grip (6) with adistal gripping surface (7) mounted on said main body (2,2″), said firstfinger grip (6) being circularly offset from said thumb grip (8) bysubstantially 180°; a second finger-grip (15) having a distal grippingsurface (16, 17) mounted substantially in the same axial position assaid first finger-grip (6) and being circularly spaced substantially180° from said first finger grip; and, a fiber optics hookupsubstantially extending transversely to the main body wherein said fiberoptics hookup (3) also forms said second finger grip.
 4. A surgicalendoscope comprising: a shaft; a main body mounted proximally to saidshaft; an operative duct for passing a surgical instrument through saidbody; optics and fiber optics extending form an ocular and/or a cameraadapter and a fiber optics hookup mounted on the main body and extendingthrough the endoscope; a thumb grip (8) having a proximal grippingsurface (9); and a first finger-grip (6) with a distal gripping surface(7) mounted on said main body (2,2″), said first finger grip (6) beingcircularly offset from said thumb grip (8) by substantially 180°; and,an ocular and/or camera adapter projecting obliquely from the main body,said thumb grip (8′) being mounted at an acute angle between said ocularor camera adapter (5′), and said main body (2′).
 5. An endoscopeaccording to claim 4 wherein said thumb grip (8′) is located on saidocular (5′).